Irthlingborough family transform their lounge into rustic log cabin

Peter Szwajgier and his fiancée Alicja Druzkowska always dreamed of living in a wooden house in the countryside but couldn’t find the right plot of land.

Instead, they decided to transform the side extension of their house in Allen Road, Irthlingborough, which was orginally the garage, to fulfill their ambition to own their dream home, with the help of award-winning timber firm Clifford Jones Timber from North Wales.

Peter, 40, a lorry driver in Milton Keynes, credits his fitness instructor fiancee Alicja, 38, with having the idea to create the log-clad room.

He said: “When we bought our three-bedroom house in Allen Road last October we decided we could use the extension to create a music room with logs on three walls and red brick on the fourth with a nice wood burner stove to keep it warm.

“I’ve done the odd bit of DIY before but this was definitely the biggest project I’d ever taken on.”

He added: “After we took delivery of the 60 half logs Alicja and I spent about two weeks working on the transformation of the room, our jobs permitting.

“I cut each log to the right length using a circular saw and then attached them to the walls using metal brackets drilled into the brickwork.

“Luckily, the walls are very solid so it wasn’t a problem.”

The logs, which cost £1,200, were left unpainted or varnished to give a natural look.

Peter said: “We’re both delighted with the way it has turned out.”

The couple and their two children Dominik, 11, and sister Oliwia, seven, use the wooden wonderland as a music room and somewhere to entertain family and friends.

Peter said: “We’re both keen on music and when I was younger I played in bands.

“In our new room we have a piano and drum kit and when our friends come round we gather around the wood burner to have a quiet drink and a little jam session.”

Alicja said: “I’m very happy with the way the room has turned out and I think we’ve created something which could be quite unique in the UK.”

Lesley Taylor-Williamson of Clifford Jones Timber said: “We send fence posts to the Falkland Islands, lamp posts to Center Parcs and special logs to a chain of pizza shops, but this was definitely a first.”